Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by LikeASista

So, what is the difference between "dinner" and "supper"? My mom told me (when I was a little girl) that the two terms both mean the same thing, ... except that dinner was the term used by the high classed, sophisticated, city slicker types, ... while supper is the term used by "country folks".

Really?

It's a regional and cultural thing. Dictionary.com defines "dinner" as:

1. the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening or at midday.
2. a formal meal in honor of some person or occasion.

For an etymology, it says: "c.1300, from O.Fr. disner, originally "breakfast," later "lunch," noun use of infinitive disner (see dine). Always used in Eng. for the main meal of the day; shift from midday to evening began with the fashionable classes."

The Wiki actually has a fairly good article on the various meanings of "dinner," which begins:

Dinner is usually the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon culture, dinner may be the second, third or fourth meal of the day. Originally, though, it referred to the first meal of the day, eaten around noon, and is still occasionally used for a noontime meal, if it is a large or main meal.

When I was growing up and in the area where I lived, "dinner" almost always meant the mid-day meal, which tended to be a big meal. I think it's safe to say, though, that in much if not most of American culture, supper has become the big meal of the day, while lunch has become lighter.

In the day-to-day usage I observe where I live (and among people of a similar cultural background to me), "dinner" has typically come to mean the main meal on a Sunday, holiday or other special occasion. So in other words, most days at my house we eat breakfast, lunch and supper. We have dinner on Sundays and special occasions. (And Sunday dinner is always the mid-day meal.)

That's why I say it's not the same thing as "pop" and "soda" -- both of which refer to the same thing. "Lunch" always means the mid-day meal, while "supper" always means the evening meal. "Dinner," on the other hand, can refer to the mid-day or evening meal, depending on context, region/culture and usage of the speaker.

Originally Posted by AGDee

I am not a sandwich fan.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one.